Mine would be Occarina of Time because it introduced me to the series.
I played only Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, BotW and TotK. Among these, I must say TotK is my favorite.
All games are memorable in their own way but I’m a sucker for open world and immersive sim and TotK scratches all my itches. There are somethings I liked more on BotW (story/characters and dungeons) but the new toys and much expanded map more than makes up for it.
Either BotW or TotK. I believe those games are absolutely incredible. It’s designed so wonderfully! Everything in the game just makes sense.
Though I never fully played through them, OoT and MM have big nostalgia for me from watching my friends play them as a kid.
I’m in oldie, so my favorite would be a toss up between Link to the Past (SNES) or Link’s Awakening (Game Boy). I go back and play LttP every few years, but Link’s Awakening was my first. ❤️
Outside of TOTK, I really enjoyed playing Minish Cap. The story, I’m meh on, but the gameplay was a lot of fun! It’s almost a tie between that and ALttP, but I actually haven’t ever finished the later which means the former wins out, for me anyways.
Twilight princess hands down. I adore that game
a link to the past
i never got into the 3d Zelda games. after playing so long in 2d it just fundamentally changed things into a different game to go 3d. it doesn’t scratch the same itch
Twilight Princess.
I’m not that much into the gothic designs and the slightly edgy, or any of the wolf stuff, but the storytelling and the presentation felt like an actual epic. Lots of scenes like the first horseback field chase, the chariot defense, the bridge horseback fight, are so infuriating to actually play (especially the first time each), but they’re all so cinematic and fast while taking a big leap forward in the story, you get stakes, satisfaction, and awe, as you realize after the fact what just changed. And then the compilation of each combat types for the final boss for the final cherry on the cake, now that you can actually play it better, you’re right there in the movie for its climax.
And the boss fights like the fire temple and the argorok are very simple but really cool.
It’s basically Ocarina, and Ocarina was great, but everything in TP is enhanced, you take every aspect of it and you improve everything. Except Ocarina goes harder on the fairytale feel, while TP is a straight medieval epic.
In 2D, maybe Minish Cap, but LBW is to LttP what TP is to OoT, like, take a great classic and improve on every aspect of it.
BotW/TotK don’t make the top for me because I’m more into the immediate story, and those two are the type to hit harder the more you think about various aspects of it, rather than while you’re in it, it’s more of a melancholic slow burn for me.
Tears of the Kingdom is my favorite, and before that it was BOTW. Third favorite goes to OOT or ALTTP.